The Contract
by hippogriff-tamer
Summary: She was a contract killer who never let anything get in the way of completing a job; that was until one day when she received a contract that would change her life forever...
1. Prologue

**A/N **_Thank you to **Katmom **for being my beta on this story and to **Katmom, H6p8gv **and **LittleFairyMaiden **for telling me that my idea wasn't half bad...It's AU and the first time I've written something like this so I hope I can keep it interesting...It will have the canon couples...It's rated T for now but may go up to M in the future..._

_**Disclaimer: All recognizable characters belong to Stephenie Meyer. No copyright infringement is intended.**_

* * *

**Prologue**

I stood in the shadows behind the gray curtains at the bay window as a tall, pudgy, balding man entered the house. The contract I had said his name was Richard Walker and that he was forty-two years old. Mr. Walker dropped his keys on a small pine desk that sat just inside the entryway and continued on into the living room. I kept on watching as he made himself a scotch and water and gingerly sipped it. He took off his shoes and turned on a small lamp beside the leather couch before sitting on it and turning the television on to the news as was his nightly routine.

As soon as he finished his scotch and placed the glass upon the table next to him, I quietly made my way over to him and put the barrel of his Colt 22 up to his right temple. I had found the gun in his nightstand when I arrived; having seen him put it there the previous night. He flinched at the feel of cool metal but had little time to do much else as I pulled the trigger. I held my breath as his blood fell across the tan cushion next to him. I wiped down the gun and placed it in his right hand. I then raced out of his house and disposed of my gloves miles away from his house.

I passed a herd of deer on my way back to Forks, Washington and easily drank from two bucks before burying their bodies.

Esme was in her study, painting, when I came through the door and started towards my room.

"Where were you off to this time, Rosalie?" she asked.

"Vancouver," I answered, stepping inside her study.

Esme sighed knowingly, having seen the contract in my hand five days ago. She disapproved of me killing what she thought were innocent people.

"Esme, these people I'm hired to kill aren't saints. There's usually a reason why they're wanted dead."

"I'm sure there are some who want them alive," she tried to point out. "They must have families or friends."

I shook my head slightly. All the contract gave me was their name, address, reason why they were wanted dead, and price the contractor was paying. The way in which the person died was up to me. I usually spent a few days following them, learning their schedule and habits, before deciding the best way to dispose of them without getting caught.

With the information I had from Mr. Walker's contract, I tried a new tactic, hoping to appeal to Esme's compassion. "The man I just killed was embezzling millions of dollars from a nonprofit organization that assists cancer patients. Wouldn't you rather he be stopped and give the money he was taking to those cancer patients."

"Yes, but killing him isn't the answer."

Carlisle entered the room as I finished speaking. "Good morning, ladies," he said before sitting next to Esme and wrapping his arm around her shoulder.

"Morning, Carlisle," we said in unison.

He noticed my dark clothes. I usually wore a black track suit when I wanted to be inconspicuous while working. "Were you out last night?"

I nodded. "Vancouver."

He rubbed his neck and frowned. "Another job?"

"Yes, an embezzler."

"Is there any way we can get you to stop this?" Carlisle asked. Like Esme, he wanted to protect human life.

"I like my job. I get to stop people from harming others."

Esme sighed sadly. "There are other ways of stopping them. What would happen if you were given the job to kill someone and you found you couldn't for some reason?"

"I keep my personal feelings out of it so that will never be a problem."

At the time I felt that I could keep my personal feelings from influencing my work. I soon learned that I was wrong…


	2. New Contract

**A/N **_I want to thank everyone who read and reviewed the prologue of this story..I would also like to thank **katmom **for being my wonderful beta..._

_Just to reiterate this is an A/U canon fic....Please enjoy chapter 1_

**_Disclaimer: All recognizable characters belong to Stephenie Meyer. No copyright infringement is intended. I also don't own any recognizable places used in this story._**

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Chapter 1.

New Contract

Two weeks later…

It was a cool October day when my latest contract was faxed to me. I grabbed the papers and rushed to my room, spreading them across the floor. I folded myself on a white pillow from my couch in front of the pages with my legs crossed and looked at the first one.

Two things struck me as odd the moment I started reading. One was that there were two names on the contract when usually there was one, and two, there was no reason given as to why the contractor wanted them dead.

Wanting to know the reason was unusual. It's easier just seeing the human as a target and nothing else. I liked picturing what they did as I ended their life. It helped keep my bloodlust at bay when I was so close to them.

"Isabella Swan and Emmett McCarty, both age twenty," I murmured to myself after a moment.

The next page told me that they were both sophomores at the University of Washington in Seattle and they were both from Forks. A photo of each was attached to this page. Isabella was short, but taller than Alice, with long brown hair and eyes. Emmett was tall and burly. His short hair was brown and his eyes were hazel.

I sat for a few minutes memorizing their faces. Isabella was sitting on a purple comforter with an open book beside her. She was staring at the camera like someone had asked her to turn around. Her face had soft, delicate, features, like Esme. Yet, there was a melancholy tinge to her grin like she wasn't happy about the photograph being taken. Emmett had a mischievous grin in his picture. He was standing on a baseball diamond dressed in a Forks High baseball uniform holding a bat over his right shoulder.

I gathered up the pages and piled them into a folder writing Swan and McCarty on the front of it.

To mentally prepare myself I closed my eyes and drifted to a faraway island where there were just waves, sun, and sand.

I was brought back to my room when my brother, Jasper, knocked on my door. He was wearing a blue shirt and jeans as he tentatively walked in and stood in front of me.

"Yes, Jasper?"

He stood testing the emotions in the room. "You seem so at peace, Rose."

"I was before you disrupted me," I told him, a hint of annoyance in my voice.

He smiled ruefully. "I apologize but Carlisle wanted me to get you."

"What does he want?"

Usually Carlisle only sent someone when he wanted to talk about something important.

Jasper shrugged. "He was calm, composed."

"Carlisle is the most composed out of all of us," I countered.

"True, but he still wants to see you."

In one silent movement I was on my feet. Jasper allowed me to exit the room first like the gentlemen he was brought up to be.

"He's in his office," he added before walking to his room.

"Thanks," I said dryly. I didn't know what my father had to say but I knew it wasn't good.

* * *

The door was closed when I got to it so I knocked.

"Come in, Rosalie," Carlisle said from the other side.

I closed the door behind me upon entering his office. Carlisle wore a charcoal gray shirt as he sat behind his mahogany desk in a newly acquired leather chair. Bookshelves lined the wall; as he was a doctor there were many about medicine.

I went over to one of the two tan chairs placed between the desk and door and stood next to it. "You wanted to see me?"

"Yes, I heard you say two names in your room earlier, names that interested me greatly."

"Isabella Swan and Emmett McCarty," I told him.

He nodded gravely. "Forks' police chief is Charlie Swan and I know that he has a daughter named Isabella."

I sat in the chair. "I didn't connect the name."

"Well, Chief Swan is a well respected man in this town and if you were hired to kill this girl I think there'd be a huge inquiry into what happened. He wouldn't stop until he found whoever murdered his only daughter."

I knew he was right. I couldn't read his mind like Edward could, but if you were anywhere near Chief Swan when he was talking about his daughter, you'd know how much he adored her. I happened to see him from a distance outside the station once talking to one of his colleagues about how proud he was that she graduated high school and was going to college close by.

"What about Emmett McCarty?" I inquired.

"His mom is Elaine McCarty," Carlisle answered.

She was another prominent figure in town. She was the principal at Forks High School and a member of the Board of Education.

"So, you're saying that Ms. McCarty would be like Chief Swan?" I asked rhetorically.

"Precisely."

I stood and looked my father straight in the eye. "I'm sorry, Carlisle, but this isn't like a law firm where you can give a case to another based on conflict of interest. I was given this job and I will fulfill it."

He rubbed his neck. "Rosalie, I wish you'd reconsider."

"I can't, Carlisle. If I botch this job my reputation will suffer."

"You can rebuild your reputation," he told me.

"Not in this business."

"Please reconsider," he said again.

I reached the door and placed a hand on the doorknob. "I'm sorry, Carlisle."

I couldn't see his reaction as I left the office but I knew he was disappointed in my decision.

* * *

I made my way back to my room to find my sister, Alice, standing next to my bed in a light green three quarter sleeved shirt and black jeans, the newly made folder in her hand. "I figured you'd need this," she told me glancing at a suitcase she had placed beside her briefly as she read over the contract.

"He's handsome, isn't he?" Alice said absently.

"Who?"

She showed me Emmett's picture.

He was handsome but I wasn't about to give Alice any satisfaction so instead I smiled at her and motioned to my suitcase. "Thanks, Alice, but I could've packed everything myself."

Alice smiled, unperturbed. "Where's the fun in that?"

"Alice, aren't you upset that you're helping me pack for my job?" I was curious. Alice wasn't as adverse to my chosen profession as Carlisle and Esme but she didn't usually help like this when she knew I was leaving to fulfill a contract.

"I have a feeling that this time will be different," she answered.

"Did you see something?"

She didn't look me in the eyes as she answered, "Perhaps."

"Will you tell me?"

"No, but I will tell you that you'll need this," she said, handing me a map of the University of Washington's campus.

I gladly took it and placed it in my purse before grabbing my suitcase and duffle bag. As I started towards the garage, I was stopped by Esme. Her pink blouse billowed as she approached me.

"You should listen to Carlisle. He was upset when he left a minute ago."

I didn't need to ask her where he went. He usually was heading for the hospital when he left the house in the daytime. "Esme, I know Carlisle means well, but he needs to realize that this is what I'm good at and I enjoy doing what I do."

She shook her head and frowned. "I know I won't be able to stop you so all I'll say is be safe."

"I will," I told her as I made my way to the garage. I put everything in the trunk of my red Mercedes convertible and drove to our condo in Seattle, which was only three blocks away from the university. Esme and Carlisle had bought the entire fourth floor and refurbished it with white walls and new furniture including a light green upholstered couch in the living room. My room was furnished with one soft lavender colored couch in the far corner and bookcases filled with forensic journals and crime novels.

After placing my clothes in the closet and taking a hot shower, I sat down on the light green couch to study the campus map. The first place I needed to go was the Registrar's Office so I could find Isabella and Emmett's schedules. Their schedules would also tell me where on campus they lived. The safest time of day to get in the office was after dark.

To pass the time, I meandered through the campus, which consisted of six hundred and forty three acres. The campus was sprawling with lots of trees and students. There were also banners strewn all around lampposts and buildings advertising that the next weekend was homecoming weekend.

As I approached Schmitz Hall, the building that houses the Registrar's Office a blonde haired guy in ratty jeans and a red plaid shirt walked passed me and whistled. He smelled like nylon. My lips lifted slightly then it was back to business. I walked around the entire building making note of all the exits. There was a back door inconspicuously situated off a small path. The minute I saw it, I realized that it was the perfect entry point. With my way in found, I decided to cut my tour of campus short so I could plan my next move.

* * *

It was a little after one-thirty in the morning when I walked up to the back door of Schmitz Hall. I raised my hand to pick the lock and a few seconds later, the door was open. I discreetly slipped inside and made my way upstairs to the second floor. I found the door to the office where transcripts were kept and downloaded Isabella's and Emmett's schedules. I had to hold my breath while I did so for the smell of human blood was everywhere at the desk; from the framed pictures of children to the keyboard. When I was done, I made haste back to the condo, making sure everything was as it was before so nothing would look suspicious.

Once I returned home, I read their schedules, discovering that they had most of their classes together, in the same buildings. That would make the task of watching two humans at once easier. I didn't get the chance to walk around the entire campus so while it was still dawn, I went back to where I had ended my tour and started walking around again.

It was nearly eight when I found myself outside Isabella's dorm. I stood behind a boulder as I watched a throng of yawning students stumbled forth. Isabella appeared five minutes later wearing a tan jacket and blue jeans; black backpack over her right shoulder. A breeze wafted over to me and I caught the scent of freesias. My throat burned a little at the scent but I just swallowed what venom began to pool in my mouth and took deep, calming breaths. Isabella headed towards the dining hall. I smelled honeysuckle mix with her freesia scent as Isabella met up with another girl. Her friend was the same height with light brown hair and blue eyes; she was similarly attired in blue jeans and a faded denim jacket.

"Hi, Bella," the other girl said to her.

Bella smiled. "Morning, Angela. Are you ready for Mr. Perkins' class?"

Angela laughed. "Am I ever?"

Bella laughed alongside Angela as the two girls entered the dining hall. I watched from a window as they each grabbed plates and set about placing different foods on them. Bella chose cereal while Angela grabbed a waffle.

I ducked out of sight as they passed by the window. The smell of waffles wafted to me and I grimaced wondering how any human could eat such a thing.

After they ate, I followed Bella and Angela to their class. It was on the third floor of the building. A tree in full leaf stood just outside the classroom's window so after a quick look around I climbed up it and perched myself on a sturdy branch. Through the window I could see a short blonde haired man in a navy blue suit sans tie writing on the blackboard as Bella and Angela entered the room. They were fifteen students already sitting in the room as the two girls found seats in the middle. Their scents mingled with all the others in the room.

The professor was about to start class when Emmett strolled into the classroom wearing a gray long sleeved shirt and khaki pants that hugged his body, drawing attention to all of his muscles. My breath hitched at the sight of him. He was much more handsome in person. His muscles flexed as he took each breath, only making them more defined to my eyes. When I allowed myself to breathe again, I detected a new scent in the room, one that reminded me of vanilla musk and leather.

He smiled at the professor as he told him, "You'd know I'd never miss your class, Mr. Perkins."

I grinned at his humor. Emmett settled into his seat and class began soon after as Mr. Perkins droned on and on in a monotone voice. As I watched Bella I noticed that she would tap her pen against her notebook and shift position slightly every so often. Emmett chewed on the pen cap when he took breaks from taking notes.

Class ended with a collective sigh of relief. It seemed that I wasn't the only one to think Mr. Perkins was a dull lecturer. I made my way to the ground and headed to the front of the building, standing near an adjacent building. Bella and Angela exited a few minutes later followed shortly by Emmett. They were chatting about class. I scanned the area as they continued talking but when I turned back to the three friends my eyes were met by brown. Bella was staring straight at me!


	3. Keeping a Close Eye on the Targets

**A/N **_I want to thank everyone who read and reviewed the last chapter of this story..I would also like to thank **katmom **for being my wonderful beta..._

**_Disclaimer: All recognizable characters belong to Stephenie Meyer. No copyright infringement is intended. I also don't own any recognizable places used in this story._**

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2.

Keeping a Close Eye on the Targets

I stood there a moment, my eyes wide with shock. In all my years of tracking people, no one had ever seen me. I was usually so adept at finding a spot where I could see my target without being seen in return. Humans are usually too distracted by work or personal matters to observe their surroundings. I recovered my senses a second later, taking the opportunity to hide behind the nearest corner when Bella blinked. Once I was out of sight, I heard Emmett speak.

"Bella?" he asked in a worried tone.

"What's wrong?" Angela added.

Bella turned back to her friends and gave them a small smile. "I'm okay, nothing's wrong. I just thought I saw something."

"What?" Angela asked, looking towards where I had stood.

"A woman with the most unusual eyes and palest skin I've ever seen."

Emmett smirked. "Paler than you?"

"Yes," Bella answered.

"Is there such a thing?" he teased.

A small smile tugged at Bella's lips. "Apparently."

I chuckled at Emmett's teasing.

"What made her eyes unusual?" Angela asked Bella.

"They were like ocher," she told her friend.

Angela seemed skeptical as she asked, "Are you sure they weren't hazel?"

Bella looked back to where I had stood and frowned at both Angela's skepticism and not seeing me there anymore. "I'm sure. The woman's eyes were nothing like Emmett's' and he has hazel eyes."

Emmett appeared pleased that Bella had noticed. "Are you saying you like my eyes?"

Angela laughed. "No, she's just making a comparison and she can't use my eyes since they are blue."

"Well, my eyes are purdy," Emmett told them, fluttering his lashes. Bella giggled as Angela laughed harder.

* * *

All throughout the rest of the day I continued watching them as they went to their classes. Bella would glance at the corners of all the buildings she passed trying to see me again. Her eyes glistened with anticipation each time, but fell the moment she found nothing.

"Maybe you're just tired and you thought you saw someone," Angela told her kindly after the fifth time.

"You mean if we don't get any sleep we can see ghosts?" Emmett asked.

"Emmett," Bella admonished good naturedly.

He slung his arm around her shoulder. "What? You saw a strange woman and she disappeared. It could have been a ghost."

I knew that my siblings might disagree but I was far from strange. Sure, I wasn't a normal eighteen year old girl. I was technically ninety-five years old. I was never going to age nor have children. Yet, I loved my family and enjoyed my work; something many humans could relate to.

I rolled my eyes at Emmett. Humans had the strangest reactions for things they thought were out of the ordinary. Most of the time they were afraid of what they don't know, others tried to explain it in a way that made sense to them. Angela seemed to want a logical explanation, but Emmett had to think of the most preposterous rationalization for what Bella saw.

Bella just shook her head at him as she stubbornly said, "Em, ghosts don't exist, but I did see a woman."

I was hoping she'd let what happened go, but, if this day was any indication, it seemed as if she was going to pursue me until she could prove what had happened. I had to be extra careful. I already allowed myself to make one mistake, another would be worse.

* * *

That evening I followed Bella and Emmett to a medium sized auditorium. There were twenty-five people, students most likely, there when they arrived. A man and a woman stood onstage near a wooden podium with the University's seal on the front of it. They both appeared to be in their thirties. The man wore a brown suit with a white shirt and green tie while the woman was dressed in a black skirt and bluish gray blouse.

The blonde haired guy who had whistled at me earlier today stopped them and handed Emmett an Olympus zoom-lens camera. Tonight, the guy was wearing a red shirt and jeans. Emmett took the camera and carefully placed its strap around his neck.

"Hey, thanks again for doing this Emmett. I need to get to the hospital."

Emmett placed his hand on the guys shoulder. "No problem, Mike. I hope your mom feels better."

Bella hugged him. "Tell her we are thinking of her."

Mike's arms lingered around Bella a few extra moments before he pulled away. "Thanks, I will."

With one last wave he left.

I sat in the back as Bella settled into a seat a couple rows back from the stage and took out a tape recorder. Emmett stood near a pillar a few feet from where she sat, facing the stage at an angle. Emmett turned and took a few shots of the audience. I ducked down as fast as I could but I didn't know if I was quick enough to avoid being photographed.

Bella turned on her tape recorder and Emmett snapped another picture as the man in the suit went to the podium.

"Good evening everyone. My name is Professor Watson and I am the Associate Dean of the School of Law. Welcome to tonight's lecture on lawsuits in today's society. It's my pleasure to introduce Attorney Barbara Mitchell."

I clapped along with everyone else as Attorney Mitchell walked up to the podium and shook Professor Watson hand. He then walked to a chair set off to the side of the stage.

"Welcome all," she said as she adjusted the microphone. "It's nice to see so many familiar faces from the last time I was here."

Several people nodded their heads and smiled at her.

"As Mr. Watson stated I am here to discuss lawsuits. A lawsuit is a civil action where a plaintiff seeks monetary damages from the defendant. The damages are meant to be punitive in nature as to prevent what happened from occurring again. There is no jail time like in a criminal proceeding."

"Is it true that you can sue anyone?" a young man with reddish hair asked, interrupting her speech.

Ms. Mitchell gave an annoyed smile in his direction. "Well, you have to have some legal basis for the suit. For example, you can't sue your neighbor just because you bought a truck from them and it doesn't run. You have to prove that the truck was in working condition before you bought it."

"Well, that's a bummer," the same young man who had interrupted her muttered loudly.

The others in the room, including Bella and Emmett laughed. I couldn't help but shake my head at his lack of manners. Sure I wasn't always a proper lady, but my mother did teach me to be courteous to others.

Attorney Mitchell cleared her throat before continuing. "Anyway, before I was interrupted I was talking about lawsuits in general. Lawsuits or civil litigation, as it can be referred to, is separate from criminal proceedings. In a single case there can be charges brought in both, though they can sometimes have different outcomes. The OJ Simpson trial is a well known example. In that case he was found innocent in the criminal court but he had to pay damages at the close of the civil trial."

"OJ was guilty as sin," a raven haired boy declared.

"But the evidence pointed to his innocence," the red haired boy from before said.

Professor Watson took this moment to tell them, "Please calm down. Let's not let this turn into a debate."

Attorney Mitchell turned and gave him a grateful smile. "Now in lawsuits there are statutes of limitations. They differ depending of each state. In Washington, many such as negligence, wrongful death and medical malpractice have a three year statute of limitation, meaning that you have to file a claim within three years of the incident." After a slight pause she asked, "Are there any questions?"

"Attorney Mitchell," a dark blonde haired girl said, raising her hand.

Attorney Mitchell turned and grinned at her. "Yes?"

The girl glanced down at her lap at what I presumed to be a notebook before asking, "Is it true that you've worked on a recent wrongful death lawsuit where the person could have been saved?"

"Yes, but that's all I can say. I'm afraid since it's still in litigation."

The girl frowned but said, "Thank you."

Bella stood with her tape recorder in hand. "Why are the names in that case being so closely guarded?"

"We are keeping their names out of the papers out of respect to the plaintiff, defendant, and their families."

"Thank you," Bella told her before asking, "Is it true that there have been other similar complaints involving the same defendant?"

The woman on stage stood still and stared at her. "How can you know that? That information hasn't been released."

"So it's true," Bella prompted.

Attorney Mitchell took a moment to regain her composure. "As I said before, the case at hand is still in litigation and I'm afraid that I can say no more about that or anything else involving the people involved."

* * *

The lecture ended soon after. I was already outside when Bella and Emmett appeared.

"I'll type the article up quickly and email it to Garrett before I go to bed," Bella told him once they were at the building.

Emmett nodded. "And I'll upload the pictures into my computer and send them."

"All right. Night, Em."

"Night, Bella." Emmett looked like he wanted to say more but he just watched her walk off toward her dorm. When she was out of his sight he turned and walked in the opposite direction.

I followed Emmett knowing that Bella would be in her room working on her article. Though I had only been following her for a day, I knew that Bella would hold to her word. She seemed to genuinely care for her friends and I didn't detect any falsehood in her voice as she spoke.

I also had to find out if he had captured my image with the camera. I had to come up with a plan just in case he did. My mind went through several scenarios but the one that seemed the most plausible was to just delete the photo from both the camera and the computer.

* * *

A group of guys were standing by the front door when Emmett reached his dorm ten minutes later. As I stood across the way, I shook my head at the smell of alcohol. Even if I didn't have a heightened sense of smell, I think I could have still smelled them from my vantage point.

"Hey, Emmett, you missed a great frat party," a black haired, pimply faced guy slurred.

He pointed to the camera which was still around his neck. "I filled in for Mike."

Another man with dark skin told him "You can take pictures any day but frat parties are …"

"All the same," Emmett finished. "Guys, there's more to life than getting sloshed every chance you get."

"You're no fun since you stopped coming to parties with us," the black haired guy said.

Placing a hand on both their shoulders Emmett told them, "Get some sleep."

"Come on Eric, let's go," the dark skinned guy stated.

The one named Eric nodded. "Sure, Tyler. Emmett can go about his business while we have more fun."

The one named Tyler looked at Emmett and back at Eric, smiling. "I like the sound of that."

After Eric and Tyler left, I took a deep, cleansing breath. Emmett handled the situation much more maturely then I had originally thought. From what I had seen of him, I'd thought he'd make some joke and laugh it off. He entered the building and, unfortunately, there were no trees that I could use to scale it so I had to come up with another plan.

Fifteen minutes later, I had run several ideas through my head but none of them worked. Eric and Tyler returned with a group of friends, many of whom were female. At seeing the group an idea sprang to mind and holding my breath, I joined them as they went inside. Nobody seemed to notice me as I tagged along. I slipped away as soon as they passed the stairwell. It only took moments to get up the three flights of stairs to Emmett's floor. I listened at the door, hearing some of his neighbors milling around. When it fell silent, I opened the door and peered out into the hallway; it was empty.

As I approached Emmett's door it opened. I backed up against the closest wall. Luckily, Emmett headed in the opposite direction, leaving his door ajar. I easily slipped inside once he was far enough away. A twin sized bed with an orange comforter sat up against a wall to my left. An undersized desk that barely held the laptop computer, camera and books it had on it sat next to the bed, facing the far wall. I stepped up to the desk and taking the camera, began flipping through the pictures.


	4. Time For Action

**A/N **_I want to apologize for the long wait between chapters…I know there's really no excuse for my tardiness with this and I hope that I can post the next one soon…__I want to thank everyone who read and reviewed the last chapter of this story..I would also like to thank __**katmom **__for being my wonderful beta..._

_**Disclaimer: All recognizable characters belong to Stephenie Meyer. No copyright infringement is intended. I also don't own any recognizable places used in this story.**_

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3.

Time For Action

There were several pictures of Attorney Mitchell and Professor Watson. There was even a couple of Bella's profile as she asked questions.

"These are not helpful," I muttered to myself.

The next picture was of the audience. The guy who had interrupted the lecture was in it. The next few were of the others in attendance and I was thinking that I had nothing to worry about until I reached the last couple of pictures.

"Damn, how could I have been so slow?" I asked the empty room as I stared at my face sitting in the corner of each picture.

I immediately deleted the pictures and went to his computer. I went under _Emmett's Documents _and found a file named "Photos from Mitchell Lecture". I clicked on it and found the photos I had just seen on the screen in front of me. Next, I went on Internet Explorer and found that he had an AOL account. He was already signed in so I scrolled down to see if he sent any new emails. There was one to with the title "Pics from Mitchell Lecture". I mentally cursed myself at having been so reckless around Bella and Emmett. The mistakes just seemed to be mounting. I couldn't tell if the email to gadams had been received since it wasn't an AOL account.

I could smell and hear Emmett getting closer. He was chatting to one of his floor mates. I raced to the window and glanced down to see if there was anyone near. I didn't see anyone so I slid the window opened and dropped onto the grass below.

* * *

I ran to the newspaper office, a one floor brick building, noticing that there was a light on in one of the smaller offices. I stopped dead as I heard voices from inside.

"Are you sure that's her?" a delicate feminine voice asked. "When we hired her I knew she had been in the business awhile, but she seems so young."

"Yes, she doesn't look much older than eighteen," a deeper baritone voice responded.

The female spoke again. "Her file doesn't say her age, but I always thought her to be in her late twenties or early thirties from her reputation. Our employer won't be happy to know that the Swan girl and the McCarty kid are still alive. He'll wonder what's taking so long."

I just stood there, listening. Were they talking about me? Were they looking at the pictures Emmett took? How would they have a file on me? I have always been discreet and if there had been any occurrences where there was information then I simply hacked into the system and deleted it.

"Who has access to that type of information on me?" I wondered aloud. My family certainly knew of my background but they wouldn't have given any outsiders information.

"Yes, I'm sure if she can't finish the job then we'll just have to hire someone else," the baritone voice said.

I found the closest window and looked inside. A petite woman stood by the door. She wore a navy skirt and jacket with three inch heels. She also had shoulder length black hair and glasses.

"How long do you think we should give her? She's already had a few days to complete the contract," the woman asked the other voice.

"We'll give her to homecoming. There will be all kinds of students, parents and alumni strolling around campus that weekend. Ms. Hale might be waiting until then to proceed."

I ran to the other side of the building, hoping to see the other person in the office. I know I should have been flattered that they were talking about me but anyone knowing about me could be dangerous; and now there was a picture! When I reached the other side I saw that the only window where the office sat had the curtains drawn.

"Perhaps we should continue this discussion after homecoming, wouldn't you agree?" the woman suggested.

I could hear someone rising from a chair. "Yes. Allow me to escort you out."

"I can see myself out, thank you. Goodnight."

"Goodnight, Amelia."

Footsteps followed their parting words. I kept listening until I heard the sound of a door and that of an engine start up. Amelia's companion left soon after and I moved to the door for a look at him. He was tall and muscular under a gray suit. His skin was darkened by a tan and his brown hair was combed back with gel keeping it in place. He smelled of paper and old leather books.

He flipped open a black cell phone as he walked to a russet colored Chevy Lumina. "I'm on my way," he told the man on the other line.

"Good, how are things progressing?" the other man asked.

"Not as quickly as we've hoped."

"Get here as soon as you can."

"Will do, sir," the man in front of me answered as he sat in the driver's seat.

"Oh, and Garrett?"

Amelia's companion, Garrett as the other man called him, paused before shutting the car door. "Yes?" he inquired.

"We'll discuss this situation in more detail when you get here."

"Yes, sir," Garrett grumbled as he hung up and closed his door. A moment later he was pulling out of the parking space and heading off campus.

* * *

Following by foot, I stayed close behind. Garrett pulled into an empty parking lot next to a series of muted orange storage containers. He got out and knocked on the door of the nearest container's silver door. It opened and Garrett walked inside, closing the door behind him. I moved so that I was hidden on the opposite side of the container.

A new tenor voice began speaking a moment later. "You told me this problem would be taken care of."

"It is, sir," Garrett responded.

"The targets are still clearly alive, so it has not. Or have I missed the obituaries? These kids are the spawn of two prominent members of Forks so one would think their deaths would make the papers."

"You have not missed them."

"Do you know the damage that they can cause if what they found gets out?"

Garrett was exasperated as he spoke. "I'm well aware of what they've discovered, sir."

Tenor voice ruffled a bunch of papers.

"And I have taken steps to keep what they found under wraps," Garrett continued, as if his companion didn't do anything.

"That's why we hired a _professional_," Tenor said tersely.

I wanted to bust in there and grab the guy and rip his head off for his implication that I wasn't a professional.

"She came highly recommended," Garrett told him. "And I've already spoken to Amelia…"

"Yes, she told me," his companion interrupted.

"When did you talk to her?"

"Right before you got here." There was rustling as a phone was extracted from a jacket pocket. "I must commend you on finding someone so young looking," Tenor added.

"She sent you a picture?"

His companion didn't answer him. "Having one who is so young, it gives an advantage. She can easily blend in on a college campus."

"We were surprised to see a picture of her. In her other jobs she's been invisible," Garrett said earnestly. "Anyway, Amelia and I both feel that we should give her until the end of homecoming weekend to complete the contract or we'll hire someone to replace her."

"And are you doing anything to make sure that the Swan girl and the McCarty kid are visible?"

"Yes, sir. I have already asked Isabella and Emmett to cover the Saturday festivities. There will be a pep rally for the football team that afternoon. That should give Ms. Hale ample opportunity to kill them."

"Good," Garrett's companion said.

* * *

I made a quick side trip to campus before returning home. There were signs everyone advertising homecoming and the events of that weekend. I took one off a bulletin board, making note that the pep rally was at noon. There was only a short time to prepare.

There was a light drizzle as I arrived early at the clearing where the pep rally was to be held. There was already a small gathering of students and faculty. I had dressed in jeans and a University of Washington sweatshirt so I could mingle without looking suspicious.

Bella and Emmett arrived ten minutes after I did. Bella took out her tape recorder and began asking people questions about what they thought of the football team and their chances of winning in the game which was to be played later in the afternoon.

"We are going to mash them into the ground," Eric told her.

Emmett took pictures of various people, including Eric, whom he gave a high five after hearing what he told Bella.

By noon, the clearing filled with more people, making the crowd near two thousand. Both Emmett and Bella settled into a spot near the stage, a medium sized platform that held a dozen chairs and a microphone stand upon it. Cheerleaders lined up in front of them and Emmett grinned as he took some pictures. A small band also arrived; setting up near where Bella and Emmett were. Next a short, bulky man with receding brown hair came on stage and took the mike. He was wearing a baseball cap with the school's logo on it and a purple polo shirt with the words "COACH" emblazoned in gold.

"Good afternoon, folks, I'm Coach Sarkisian and welcome to this year's homecoming weekend," he said to everyone. Everyone applauded. After a couple minutes he continued speaking but I didn't hear a word. Instead I inched towards Emmett and Bella, my hand on the hilt of my knife, which was sheathed next to my right thigh, under my sweatshirt. Emmett was looking through his camera, snapping more pictures and Bella was watching Coach Sarkisian speak, holding the tape recorder so it could catch what he was saying.

I was a foot away from them when I heard a gun click about a hundred feet behind me. I glanced back and saw a figure clad in camouflage peering into the scope of a rifle aimed directly where Emmett was standing with Bella. The only thing I could think was that the man who Garrett spoke to must have hired another hit man, unsatisfied with what had happened thus far.

I knew I had only seconds to make a move so as carefully as I could I hurried over to Bella, my hand grasping the violet colored hilt of the knife tightly. I was undecided if I should use it to get her attention. When I reached her I placed my hand around her wrist instead of using my knife. She gasped.

"Shh, don't make a noise," I whispered. Her eyes were wide with fear and confusion but she nodded.

Emmett looked over when he heard Bella. His concern for her quickly turned to confusion as he saw me.

I grabbed his arm, noticing how his muscles twitched with my touch. He didn't pull away, just stared at me. "Come with me."

There was another gunshot that hit the leg of the platform. It flew close to one of the cheerleaders, a girl with flaming red hair, and she screamed loud enough so the band stopped playing and the others were wondering what had happened.

Bella turned at the scream. "What happened?"

Instead of answering her I told both of them, "We really need to go now."

They glanced back at the crowd that was gathering in front of the cheerleader and back at me before nodding reluctantly. I started towards the edge of the clearing, Bella and Emmett flanking my sides.


End file.
